It’s hard to think that the younger generation now only know Brian Laudrup as a legendary figure in Rangers history. He graced Rangers for four years during the nineties, in a glorious period for the club, if you saw him then you were truly privileged. I was lucky that I started going to games in the period when Brian was making his mark all over Ibrox.
Capable of anything really. No other way to describe him, he could run, he could dribble, he could provide and he could of course finish. He took you right to the edge of your seat and kept you there every time he touched the ball.
Now a days he lives a more quiet life. He has recovered from a battle with cancer and is surrounded by his family. But he still keeps up to date with everything that goes on at Ibrox.
He has recently launched his own Gin which you can find here https://laudrup11.com alongside a brand new rosey wine which I’m sure will be hugely successful.
So what about this season and Steven Gerrard?
“I would have loved to play in that team. The style of play they have nowadays is fantastic to watch. It’s all about ball possession, that’s not to say my Rangers team were a long ball team far from it actually, but now it’s all about possession. Our team in 97 had a lot of top class footballers, as they have in this team now, but it’s perhaps a more assembled team with younger players”
On the manager Brian said;
“This team have a younger manager who knows exactly how he wants to play and that makes it, given how football has become, the right way to do it”
“One of the things I’m most proud of is that 25-30 years ago people perhaps looked at Scottish football, thought it was a long ball game with plenty of physique. Nowadays it’s all about how you play and to watch Rangers stick to that style, even in Europe, is the most pleasing part”
When asked who we should keep at all costs in this team, Brian was gushing in praise for Ryan Kent
“I could mention two or three but Ryan Kent is the one we really need to keep. I think it shows when Leeds have been after him for a while. He’s the kind of player you pay to watch, the kind of player that turns a dull game into a spectacular one”
“He’s the type of player that can open up defences in a second, the kind of player you need in Scotland and Europe”
So what advice would Brian give Ryan Kent going into games and in games sometimes it’s not going as well as possible?
“Great Question! If you think to much about your transfer fee then you can get in your own mind and try too much. You are only a human being and sometimes I think Ryan Kent tried to carry the burden of the team, you can’t do that”
“The management will tell him that and the great thing is he clearly cares, which I like”
So how good is this Rangers squad that swept the player of the year nominations?
“The thing about this team is we are all talking about Ryan Kent, Aribo, Morelos, all these wonderful talented players. Would Rangers have won the league without the like of Mcgregor? Tavernier? No not really”
“It’s about leadership and they have that, it’s something Steven Gerrard would have known from his playing days. You can have wonderful young hungry players but you need leaders that lead them and that’s exactly what happened this year”
Huge thank you to Cameron Bell of our friends Heart and Hand who asked the questions today on my behalf. You can hear the whole interview today on Heart and Hand update here https://www.patreon.com/posts/52103667. If you aren’t a subscriber then I would urge you all to check it out from as little as £1.99 a month. I also guest every now and then!
Huge thanks to 5stars LTD, Rangers official Legends events suppliers, for the invite to speak to Brian today. As official partners of 4lads we look forward to more ventures together going forward.
Check out the Laudrup family’s new Gin and Wine here https://laudrup11.com/. A lovely family venture and most important, it’s lovely to see Brian so well.
A Rangers legend
Four Lads Had A Dream 